Control Lever for a Vehicle

ABSTRACT

A vehicle control lever which has a moveable control panel provided on the lever. The control panel has a plurality of operating elements to control different vehicle functions, wherein the configuration of the operating elements can be re-assigned to control different vehicle functions based on the position of the control panel on the control lever.

BACKGROUND Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a control lever for a vehicle, and avehicle having such a control lever, in particular an agriculturalvehicle.

Description of Related Art

Some vehicles, particularly in the area of agriculture and construction,are provided with a number of different vehicle components for operationby a vehicle operator. As a result, such vehicles are generally providedwith a variety of different control devices for the control andoperation of the different vehicle components. An example of such acontrol device is a control lever or joystick-style controller, whichmay be used for vehicle steering and acceleration, as well as foroperation of different vehicle elements, e.g. lifting devices such asbuckets, backhoes, front loaders, etc.

In an effort to improve the efficiency of operation, may control leversare provided with additional operating elements, e.g. additionalbuttons, rotary dials, etc., which are associated with different vehiclecomponents. The provision of such operating elements on the controllever itself allows for the operator to control a wider variety ofvehicle components, without removing their grip from the control lever.

However, such a pre-defined layout of operating elements may not beappropriate for all operators of the control lever, as a“one-size-fits-all” approach is not suitable when considering factorssuch as different operator hand sizes, comfort requirements, and eventhe personal preference of the operator for the layout of vehiclecontrols.

In addition, while the different operating elements themselves may bere-assignable to control different vehicle components, suchre-assignment can require the operator to re-select the differentassignments from a user interface terminal, thereby requiring theoperator to remove their grip from the control lever to perform there-assignment.

As a result, it is an object of the invention to provide a control leverfor a vehicle having improved comfort and flexibility of operation.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, there is provided a control lever for a vehicle, thecontrol lever comprising:

a lever body having a gripping surface for a hand of an operator, thelever body having a base end and an upper end, and

a control panel mounted to said lever body, the control panel havingconfigurable operating elements provided thereon, the control panelmoveable about the lever body, wherein the operating elements of thecontrol panel are configured based at least in part on the position ofthe control panel relative to the lever body.

The position of the control panel on the lever body is adjustable aboutthe lever body, to provide a vehicle control lever which is moreflexible for use. The position of the control panel can be adjusted asrequired by the operator, e.g. based on operator comfort, operatorhandedness, visibility, etc. The operating elements are configured toactuate or control different components of the vehicle. As the controlpanel position can be changed, accordingly the configuration of theoperating elements of the control panel can be changed based on theadjusted control panel position. As a result, the layout of theoperating elements on the control panel as presented to an operator canbe substantially unchanged, even though the position of the controlpanel itself may vary. This provides an adjustable control lever whichis easier to use by an operator.

Preferably, the configurable operating elements of the control panel areconfigured according to a layout of different operating functionscontrolled by the operating elements, wherein the layout of operatingfunctions is changed based on the position of the control panel relativeto the lever body.

The layout may comprise any known conventional component layout, e.g.four-way directional controls, keypad controls, etc., wherein the layoutas applied to the operating elements of the control panel is adjustedbased on the control panel position. Accordingly, the layout of thecontrols as presented to the operator may remain substantiallyunchanged, or having the same relative orientation, regardless of theactual position of the control panel itself.

In an additional or alternative aspect, the operating elements areconfigured to control a plurality of a number of vehicle components,wherein the particular vehicle components controlled by the operatingelements of the control panel are selected based on the position of thecontrol panel relative to the lever body.

For example, in one position of the control panel, the operatingelements of the control panel are configured to control one subset ofcomponents of the vehicle, e.g. hydraulic actuators. In a differentposition of the control panel, the operating elements of the controlpanel can be configured to control a different subset of components ofthe vehicle, e.g. a vehicle radio, a navigation system, a telephoneinterface, etc. Such an adjustable assignment of the functionscontrolled by the control panel by repositioning of the panel relativeto the control lever body allows for a simple mechanism for an operatorto switch between the controlling of different vehicle functions usingthe control panel of the control lever, without releasing their gripfrom the control lever.

In a preferred embodiment, the operating elements comprise assignableoperating elements, such that the operating elements can be re-assignedto control different components of the vehicle, wherein the assignmentof operating elements to different components is based at least in parton the position of the control panel on the lever body.

Preferably, the control lever comprises at least one sensor arranged todetect the orientation of the control panel relative to the lever body,wherein the assignment of the operating elements is based on thedetected orientation.

It will be understood that the control lever may be provided with anintegral controller or electronic control unit (ECU) to assign theoperating elements to control or actuate different components of thevehicle. Alternatively, the control lever may be arranged to interfacewith a vehicle controller or ECU, such that the vehicle controller orECU performs the re-assignment of the operating elements of the controllever to the different components of the vehicle.

In one aspect, a plurality of the assignable operating elements areassigned to control directionally-related components of the vehicle,wherein said plurality are re-assigned based on the orientation of thecontrol panel when the control panel is moved about the lever body, suchthat the relative positions of the re-assigned operating elementscorresponds to the relative directions of the associated/assignedcomponents.

The directionally-related components of the vehicle may comprise anyvehicle component the operation of which is related to a direction, e.g.a left-right steering operation, a forward-reverse extension or travelof a component or attached implement, a raising or lowering of acomponent or attached implement, etc. Accordingly, the re-assignment ofthe operating elements based on the orientation of the control panelallows for a vehicle operator to be presented with a layout of operatingelements which corresponds with the associated directions of thecontrolled components.

Additionally or alternatively, the operating elements are assignedaccording to a template controller layout, wherein the operatingelements are re-assigned based on the orientation of the control panelwhen the control panel is moved about the lever body, such that anoperator is presented with a corrected assignment of operating elementssubstantially corresponding to the template controller layout.

The operating elements may be initially assigned based on a pre-definedor user-defined layout of controls, where the operating elements arere-assigned to continue to present the desired layout, regardless of theorientation of the control panel. For example, the operating elementsmay be configured to provide a keyboard or numeric keypad input, whereinthe controls are re-assigned as the control panel is moved tocontinually present the default input layout regardless of orientation.

Preferably, the control panel is positioned towards the upper end of thelever body, wherein the control panel is rotatable about at least aportion of the circumference of the lever body.

Preferably, the control lever comprises a head section provided at theupper end of the lever body, wherein the control panel is rotatableabout at least a portion of the head section of the control lever.

Preferably, the control lever comprises at least one additionaloperating element. The at least one additional operating element may beprovided on the lever body, and/or provided on the head section of thecontrol lever.

Additionally or alternatively, the position of the lever body isadjustable along at least a portion of the length of the lever body,between the base end and the upper end of the lever body.

Preferably, the control panel is lockable in position on the lever body.Preferably, the control lever comprises a locking device, which can beoperated to secure the control panel in position on the lever body. Sucha locking device may comprise a simple push-button tab or sliding switchwhich prevents relative movement between the control panel and the leverbody. It will be understood that the control panel may be moveableduring driving or movement of the vehicle, as part of a situativeadjustment.

It will be understood that the operating elements of the control panelmay comprise buttons, rotary dials, scroll wheels, cross-gate levers,mini-joysticks or thumbsticks, etc.

In one aspect, the control panel comprises a display screen to indicatethe configuration of the operating elements.

Providing a display screen at the control panel allows the operator toeasily see the current configuration of the operating elements.

Additionally or alternatively, the operating elements of the controlpanel comprise changeable indicators which indicate the currentconfiguration of the operating elements.

For example, the indicators may comprise colour-changing lights, whereindifferent functions of the operating elements can be denoted bydifferent colours of the colour-changing lights.

Additionally or alternatively, the operating elements compriseindividual display screens incorporated into the operating elements,wherein the individual display screens display an indication of thefunction currently controlled by each operating element.

The operating elements may incorporate display screens or have displayscreens provided directly adjacent the operating elements, the screensarranged to display icons or other indications of thecurrently-controlled function or actuatable element. The screens maycomprise LCD or LED screens.

There is further provided a vehicle, preferably an agricultural vehicleor constructional vehicle, preferably an agricultural tractor orharvester, having a control lever as described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an agricultural tractor having a control leveraccording to the invention;

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate an embodiment of control lever having amoveable control panel according to the invention, showing the controlpanel in three different positions on the control lever;

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate enlarged views of the moveable controlpanel of the control lever of FIGS. 2A-2C when in different positions;

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C illustrate enlarged views of another embodiment ofmoveable control panel of the control lever of FIGS. 2A-2C when indifferent positions;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate further embodiments of control panel for thecontrol lever of FIGS. 2A-2C; and

FIG. 6 illustrates an overview of a control scheme for a control leveraccording to the invention.

The drawings are provided by way of reference only, and will beacknowledged as not to scale. Common features between the differentembodiments are provided with the same reference numbers incremented bysteps of 100.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1, a vehicle according to the invention in theform of an agricultural tractor is indicated at 10. The tractor 10comprises front wheels 12 and rear wheels 14, a forward engine section16 and a cab section 18. A rear linkage 20 is provided at the rear ofthe tractor 10, and a front linkage 22 is provided at the front of thetractor 10. The front and rear linkages 20, 22 can be actuated or movedusing associated hydraulic cylinders. Rear fenders 24 are provided tocover a portion of the rear wheels 14.

Within the cab 18, an operator station 26 is provided. The operatorstation 26 comprises a user interface device 28 which is used to displayinformation relating to tractor operation, and to control differentelements of the tractor 10. The operator station 26 is provided with acontrol lever 30, which can be used to operate different elements of thetractor 10, e.g. hydraulic circuits, lifting systems, and/or to controlthe acceleration and steering of the tractor 10.

With reference to FIGS. 2A-2C, the control lever 30 is shown in moredetail. The control lever 30 comprises a lever body 32 having a base end32 a and an upper end 32 b. The lever body 32 has a gripping surface 34for gripping by a hand of an operator. A control panel 36 is provided atthe upper end 32 b of the lever body 32. A plurality of operatingelements 38 in the form of pushbuttons are arranged on the control panel36, such that the operating elements 38 can be used to control differentcomponents of the tractor 10. The operating elements 38 can be used tocontrol actuation of different hydraulic or pneumatic systems, forexample a lifting circuit for a front loader or a front or rear linkage20, 22. The operating elements 38 may also be configured to control theoperation of different implements or attachments coupled with thetractor 10, e.g. cultivation or application equipment such as ploughs,sprayers, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the operating elements 38can be used to control operation of different electronic orsoftware-based subsystems of the tractor 10, e.g. a vehicle radio, anavigation system, a telephone interface, etc.

The control panel 36 is moveable on the lever body 32, such that theposition of the control panel 36 relative to the lever body 32 can beadjusted by an operator. Preferably, the control panel 36 is rotatableabout the upper end 32 b of the lever body 32. Further preferably, thecontrol panel 36 is rotatable about a head section 37 provided at theupper end 32 b of the lever body 32.

In FIG. 2A, the control panel 36 is positioned to the left of the upperend 32 b of the lever body. The control panel 36 can be rotated aboutthe upper end 32 b, to a further position shown in FIG. 2B, wherein thecontrol panel 36 is positioned above or in front of the upper end 32 bof the lever body 32. From here, the control panel 36 can be returned tothe left-sided position as shown in FIG. 2A, or can be rotated furtherto the position shown in FIG. 2C, wherein the control panel 36 ispositioned to the right of the upper end 32 b of the lever body 32. Byallowing for the adjustment of the position of the control panel 36relative to the lever body 32 in this manner, accordingly an operatorcan reposition the control panel 32 as desired, thereby providing forimproved operator comfort and flexibility of use of the control lever30. While the illustrated embodiment shows the control panel 36rotatably moveable about the control lever 30, it will be understoodthat the control panel 36 may be moveable in any suitable manner on thelever body 32, e.g. adjustable along a portion of the length of thelever body 32, between the base end 32 a and the upper end 32 b of thelever body 32.

In addition, the control lever 30 is provided with a locking device 40which can comprise a simple push-button tab or sliding switch to preventrelative movement between the control panel 36 and the lever body 32,such that the control panel 36 can be held in position during operationof the tractor 10.

It will be understood that the control panel 36 may be moved to anynumber of other positions on the lever body 32, depending on therequirements and the construction of the control lever 30. For example,the control panel 36 may be positioned below the upper end 32 b of thelever body 32, opposite to the position shown in FIG. 2B.

As a result of the repositioning of the control panel 36, the controllever 30 is configured such that the individual operating elements 38 ofthe control panel 36 can be re-configured or re-assigned to the controlof different components of the tractor 10, based on the position of thecontrol panel 36. Accordingly, the relative layout of the operatingelements 38 as seen by an operator of the control lever 30 ismaintained, regardless of the orientation of the control panel 36relative to the lever body 32.

With reference to FIGS. 3A-3C, enlarged views are shown of the controlpanels 36 of FIGS. 2A-2C when in the left-side position (FIG. 3A), top-or front-side position (FIG. 3B) and right-side position (FIG. 3C). Ineach of the views, the control panel 36 is provided with an array ofoperating elements 38 in the form of buttons 38 a, 38 b, 38 c, 38 d, 38e arranged in a cross-shaped configuration.

When the control panel 36 is in the left-side position, an operator ispresented with the layout as shown in FIG. 3A. Accordingly, theuppermost button 38 a is preferably configured to control a vehiclefunction which would be associated with a forward or upwards direction,e.g. a raising of a front loader or hitch, to provide for ease ofunderstanding by the operator. Similarly, the lowermost button 38 b isconfigured to control a vehicle function which would be associated witha backwards or downwards direction, e.g. a lowering of a front loader orhitch. The leftmost button 38 c is configured to control a vehiclefunction associated with a leftwards direction, while the rightmostbutton 38 d is configured to control a vehicle function associated witha rightwards direction. Such directional controls may be associated witha steering function, or an incrementing features, e.g. wherein therightmost button is linked with an increasing in a particular variable,and a leftmost button is linked with a decreasing of the variable.

If the operator desires to reposition the control panel 36 on the leverbody 32, accordingly the control panel 36 can be rotated to the top- orfront-side position shown in FIG. 3B. In this position, the operator ispresented with an adjusted orientation of the control panel 36 and theoperating elements 38 a, 38 b, 38 c, 38 d, 38 e. Accordingly, thecontrol lever 30 is configured such that the operating elements 38 a, 38b, 38 c, 38 d are re-assigned to a control layout appropriate for thenew orientation of the control panel 36. Button 38 c, which waspreviously the leftmost button in FIG. 2A, is now positioned as theuppermost button, and accordingly is reconfigured to control the vehiclefunction associated with a forward or upwards direction. Button 38 d,previously the rightmost button, is now configured to control thefunction associated with a backwards or downwards direction. Similarly,buttons 38 a and 38 b are reconfigured to control the right- andleft-side functions respectively.

If the operator desires to further reposition the control panel 36 onthe lever body 32, the control panel 36 can be rotated to the right-sideposition shown in FIG. 3C. In this case, the layout of the operatingelements 38 is effectively inverted when compared with the layout of theleft-side position shown in FIG. 3A. Accordingly, the control lever 30is configured to further reassign the operating elements 38 a,38 b,38c,38 d to control the downwards, upwards, rightwards, and leftwardsvehicle functions respectively.

It will be understood that the reassignment of the operating elements 38to control different vehicle functions may occur automatically, ondetection of the movement of the control panel 36 to a differentposition. Additionally or alternatively, the reassignment may occurwhenever the control panel 36 is locked in the new position, by use ofthe locking device 40. In a further aspect, the reassignment may becommenced by operator initiation of a reassignment button provided onthe control lever 30, or a reassignment command through the userinterface device 28.

By reassigning of vehicle control functions based on the position of themoveable control panel 36, the vehicle operator is presented with anoperating element 38 layout which can more accurately correspond withthe orientation of the control panel 36 as seen by the operator. As aresult, the control lever 30 provides an input device having increasedflexibility of operation, and which is more intuitively understood by avehicle operator.

While the physical arrangement of the operating elements 38 shown in theembodiment of FIGS. 3A-3C are suitable for control ofdirectionally-related functions, it will be understood that otherphysical arrangements of operating elements may be provided, which aresuitable for control of a wide variety of different vehicle functions.For example, with reference to the features of the embodiment shown inFIGS. 4A-4C, a control panel 136 is illustrated having an array ofequally-spaced and substantially identical operating elements indicatedgenerally at 138. While the operating elements 138 of this embodimentmay be used for the control of directionally-related functions asdescribed above, such a regular array of operating elements 138 can beused for the control of more intricate vehicle functions, for example anumeric keypad for the entry of numerical values, as shown in FIGS.4A-4C and described in more detail below.

The assignment of the operating elements 38 of the control panel 36 maybe displayed on a screen, e.g. using the user interface device 28, suchthat the operator understands the current layout of the vehiclefunctions associated with the individual operating elements 38.Additionally or alternatively, the assignment may be displayed on thecontrol panel 36 itself. With reference to the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 5A, a control panel 236 is provided with an array of operatingelements 238. In addition to the operating elements 238, the controlpanel is provided with an integrated display screen 242. The displayscreen 242 is configured to display the current configuration orassignment of the operating elements 238, for example listing thedifferent vehicle functions currently controlled by the individualoperating elements 238. Such display of information may comprise atextual listing of functions and/or a graphical display of icons.

In a further aspect, the individual operating elements may be providedwith separate indicators which indicate the current configuration of theoperating elements. For example, the indicators may comprisecolour-changing lights, wherein different functions of the operatingelements can be denoted by different colours of the colour-changinglights.

With reference to FIGS. 4A-4C, the features of a further embodiment ofcontrol lever according to the invention are illustrated. In thisembodiment, a control panel 136 is provided with an array of operatingelements 138. The individual operating elements 138 comprise individualdisplay screens incorporated into the operating elements 138, whereinthe individual display screens display an indication of the functioncurrently controlled by each operating element 138. The display screensmay comprise LCD or LED screens. In this instance, the control panel 136is configured such that the operating elements 138 are used to provide anumerical keypad for numerical data entry, e.g. to enter processvariables, desired speed limits, for interaction with an integratedtelephone dialling system, etc. As with the embodiment of FIGS. 3A-3C,the control panel 136 can be moved from a left-side position (FIG. 4A)to a top- or front-side position (FIG. 4B), or to a right-side position(FIG. 4C), with the operating elements 138 reassigning to controldifferent keypad elements based on the position of the control panel136. In this case, the display screens incorporated into the operatingelements 138 are configured to refresh to display the reassigned keypadconfiguration, when the control panel 136 is repositioned.

It will be noted that the operating elements 38,138 are preferablyconfigured according to a layout of different operating functionscontrolled by the operating elements 38,138, wherein the layout ofoperating functions is changed based on the position of the controlpanel 36,136. The layout generally comprises a conventional componentlayout, e.g. four-way directional controls, keypad controls, etc.,wherein the layout as applied to the operating elements of the controlpanel is adjusted based on the control panel position. With reference tothe embodiment of FIGS. 3A-3C, the layout can be preserved due to thesymmetrical layout of the operating elements 38. With reference to theembodiment of FIGS. 4A-4C, the layout as presented to the operator inthe left- and right-side positions (FIGS. 4A and 4B) is preservedbetween the different orientations. In the top-side position (FIG. 4B)the layout is slightly altered to fit within the adjusted orientation ofthe operating elements 138, but which still presents substantially thesame general impression when presented to the operator.

While the embodiments of FIGS. 3A-3C, 4A-4C and 5A illustrate theoperating elements 38,138 as button elements, it will be understood thatthe operating elements may additionally or alternatively comprise anysuitable control device, e.g. rotary dials, scroll wheels, cross-gatelevers, mini-joysticks or thumbsticks, etc. For example, with referenceto the enlarged view of FIG. 5B, a control panel 336 is provided withoperating elements 338 in the form of pushbuttons. In addition, thecontrol panel 336 is provided with a further operating element in theform of an adjustable mini-joystick 344. It will be understood that themapping of the control of the mini-joystick 344 is adjusted based on theposition of the control panel 336, such that the relative orientation ofthe mini-joystick 344 as presented to the operator is consistent withthe associated control operations. For example, regardless of theposition of the control panel 336, an actuation of the mini-joystick 334in the leftwards direction will map to a control operation associatedwith the leftward actuation.

It will be understood that the control lever 30 may be provided with anintegrated electronic control unit (ECU) to perform the re-assignment orre-configuration of the operating elements of the control panel based onthe control panel position. Additionally or alternatively, the controllever 30 is arranged to interface with a vehicle ECU to perform there-assignment or re-configuration.

An overview of an embodiment of a control scheme for a control lever 30is illustrated in FIG. 6. It will be understood that this overview isprovided by way of example, and that individual embodiments may comprisedifferent combinations of the illustrated features.

The components of the control lever 30 are indicated within thebroken-line outline. The control lever 30 comprises an integratedgeneral display 242, and/or individual integrated indicators orindividual display screen elements 46 associated with individualoperating elements 38 of the control panel. The display 242 and/or theindividual integrated indicators or individual display screen elements46 are controlled to indicate or display the current configuration ofthe operating elements 38 of the control lever 30.

The control lever 30 is further provided with at least one sensor 48,preferably at least one rotary sensor, which is arranged to detect theposition of the control panel of the control lever 30. In theillustrated embodiment, the control lever 30 further comprises anintegrated ECU 50 communicatively coupled with the integrated generaldisplay 242, the individual integrated indicators or individual displayscreen elements 46, and the at least one sensor 48.

The control lever 30 and associated components are communicativelycoupled with a vehicle ECU 52 provided in the vehicle, e.g. tractor 10,for the control and operation of the vehicle functions. The ECU 52 iscoupled with a memory storage module 54, which can be accessed toretrieve stored data, e.g. stored layouts of operating elementconfigurations of the control lever. The ECU 52 is further coupled withthe user interface device 28, for the input of commands from an operatoras well as the display of information.

The ECU 52 is further coupled with a variety of individual vehiclefunctions, indicated generally at 56, for the control and operation ofthe vehicle functions 56. While the functions 56 are illustrated ashydraulic cylinders, it will be understood that the functions 56 to becontrolled by the control lever may comprise any suitable vehiclesystem, e.g. steering, acceleration, navigation, implement control, etc.The user interface device 28 may be used by an operator to configure theassignment of the operating elements 38 of the control lever todifferent vehicle functions 56. For example, an operator can definedifferent controller layouts to be used for the operating elements 38,wherein the controller layouts can be stored in the memory storagemodule 54 for later retrieval and use by the control lever 30.

As described above, the vehicle ECU 52 may be configured to perform there-assignment of the operating elements of the control lever 30 to thedifferent vehicle functions, based on the position of the control panelof the control lever 30 as detected by the at least one sensor 48. Suchre-assignment may be performed in addition to, or as an alternative to,the integrated ECU 50.

In a further aspect of the invention, the ECU 50, 52 is operable tochange the overall function of the operating elements of the controlpanel based on the position of the control panel. For example, when thecontrol panel is in a first position, the control panel and theoperating elements can be configured to control a first vehiclefunction, for example a first hydraulic circuit. When the control panelis moved to a second position, the configuration of the operatingelements can be changed to control a different vehicle function, forexample a second hydraulic circuit or a vehicle navigation system. Byproviding a relatively simple way to change between vehicle functions,the control lever provides an efficient way for an operator to switchbetween control of different aspects of the vehicle from the comfort ofthe control lever.

It will be understood that the control lever 30 may be provided withadditional operating elements, e.g. trigger switches, additionalbuttons, wherein the additional operating elements may be provided aboutthe lever body 32, e.g. on the head section 37.

The use of a control lever having a moveable control panel withre-assignable operating elements based on control panel positionprovides for a relatively simple and flexible input device for avehicle.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, andmay be modified or adapted without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A control lever for a vehicle, the control lever comprising: a leverbody having a hand gripping surface, the lever body having a base endand an upper end, and a control panel mounted to said lever body, thecontrol panel having configurable operating elements provided thereon,the control panel moveable about the lever body, wherein the operatingelements are configured based at least in part on the position of thecontrol panel relative to the lever body.
 2. The control lever of claim1, wherein the configurable operating elements are configured accordingto a layout of different operating functions controlled by the operatingelements, wherein the layout of operating functions is changed based onthe position of the control panel relative to the lever body.
 3. Thecontrol lever of claim 1, wherein the operating elements are configuredto control a plurality of vehicle components, wherein the particularvehicle components controlled by the operating elements are selectedbased on the position of the control panel relative to the lever body.4. The control lever of claim 1, wherein the operating elements areassignable, such that the operating elements can be re-assigned tocontrol different components of the vehicle, wherein the re-assignmentof the operating elements to said different components is based at leastin part on the position of the control panel relative to the lever body.5. The control lever of claim 1, wherein the control lever comprises atleast one sensor arranged to detect the orientation of the control panelrelative to the lever body, wherein the configuration of the operatingelements is based on the detected orientation.
 6. The control lever ofclaims 1, wherein the control lever comprises an integral controller orelectronic control unit (ECU) to assign the operating elements tocontrol or actuate different components of the vehicle.
 7. The controllever of claim 1, wherein the control lever is arranged to interfacewith a vehicle controller or ECU, such that the vehicle controller orECU can perform re-assignment of the operating elements of the controllever to different components of the vehicle.
 8. The control lever ofclaim 1, wherein a plurality of configurable operating elements areassigned to control directionally-related components of the vehicle,wherein said plurality are re-assigned based on the orientation of thecontrol panel relative to the lever body when the control panel is movedabout the lever body, such that the relative position of a re-assignedoperating element corresponds to the relative direction of the assignedcomponent.
 9. The control lever of claim 1, wherein the control panel ispositioned towards the upper end of the lever body, and wherein thecontrol panel is rotatable about at least a portion of the circumferenceof the lever body.
 10. The control lever of claim 1, wherein theposition of the lever body is adjustable along at least a portion of alength of the lever body, between the base end and the upper end of thelever body.
 11. The control lever of claim 1, wherein the control panelis lockable in position on the lever body.
 12. The control lever ofclaim 11, wherein the control lever comprises a locking device, whichcan be operated to secure the control panel in position on the leverbody.
 13. The control lever of claim 1, wherein the control panelcomprises a display screen to indicate the configuration of theoperating elements.
 14. The control lever of claim 1, wherein theoperating elements of the control panel comprise changeable indicatorsor individual display screens which indicate the current configurationof the operating elements.
 15. An agricultural vehicle or aconstructional vehicle, having a control lever as claimed in claim 1.